A message from President Feridun Hamdullahpur. This message originally appeared on the Daily Bulletin.
I am pleased to announce the release of the University of Waterloo’s first Environmental Sustainability Strategy. This strategy outlines the approaches we will take to reduce our environmental footprint and leave a positive impact on our community and our planet.
The world faces a range of complex challenges. At the top of that list are fundamental shifts in our environment that threaten our world and our way of life.
From climate change to resource depletion, these issues require collaboration, innovative thinking, and bold responses. Organizations around the world, across all sectors, are intensifying efforts to integrate sustainability into their purpose and through their operations.
As a catalyst for change in the world, the University of Waterloo must be at the forefront of sustainability, not only because we are home to some of the top researchers in the world, but because we must set an example.
Waterloo’s sustainability strategy integrates feedback received from across campus in 2016 through an online survey, two open houses, and multiple events that resulted in three bold goals:
- To be a leader in sustainability education and research
- To operate the campus sustainably
- To embed sustainability practices into campus culture
These are broken into 27 more specific objectives to guide campus action, several of which will create important shifts across campus. These include:
- Developing a roadmap to become carbon neutral by 2050
- Becoming a zero-waste campus by 2035
- Working with academic departments to identify pathways for integrating sustainability in our teaching and learning
- Engaging students and employees in efforts to make these changes possible
Some of these objectives are long-term, recognizing the substantial changes involved. Others focus on short-term improvements. Both are necessary.
The publication of our Environmental Sustainability Strategy is a significant milestone, but it is not our last. This document is not the end of the conversation. It is a roadmap that identifies the destinations we should be working towards to improve our University’s sustainability.
Although this document describes five foundational actions to build momentum, many aspects will require more detailed action plans. And, all aspects will require involvement from employees and students across campus.
I encourage you to read through the strategy and know that it is not a document that will sit on a shelf. This strategy will lead to action and I look forward to working with everyone on and off campus to ensure its success.